Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to Joe Biden: ‘Do Your Job’ After President Tells Him to ‘Get Out of the Way’ on COVID

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has a reply to President Joe Biden, who said that Republican governors should "get out of the way" in light of the administration's COVID response.

DeSantis, a Republican, then accused Joe Biden of coming after the rights of the people of Florida with his lockdown policies, The Daily Wire reported.

On Wednesday, August 4, the governor noted that if Biden tries to restrict people by imposing mandates and trying to ruin jobs and livelihoods, he will continue to stand in the president's way.

Ron DeSantis said he is standing for the people of Florida. He noted that Biden should do his job and secure the border, which he claimed is "wide open."

"And until you do that, I don't want to hear a blip about COVID from you. Thank you," the Florida governor added.

Joe Biden had criticized Ron DeSantis and other Republican governors for not imposing mask mandates and lockdowns in their respective states, even with Florida seeing spikes in their hospitalization rates amid the delta variant.

The president said if they are not going to help, "at least get out of the way of people trying to do the right thing," NBC Miami News reported.

Statement of Joe Biden Against Ron DeSantis and Other Republican Governors

In a press briefing at the White House on Tuesday, August 3, Joe Biden said the country needs leadership from everyone, and if some governors are not willing to do the right thing to address the pandemic, then they should allow universities and businesses who want to do the right thing to be able to do it.

The president noted that the governors should use their powers to save lives. Biden added that he believes the decisions made by Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott are "bad health policy," The Hill reported.

Florida and Texas accounted for one in three COVID cases last week, according to White House COVID response coordinator Jeff Zients.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki noted that many governors continue to step up and do the right thing. Psaki also denied that Biden's words were at all political. She noted that it was not a partisan evaluation or assessment.

The press secretary said the White House is in touch with state officials such as Florida and Texas on providing additional assistance for better response to the increase in COVID cases.

Florida and Texas COVID Rates

Florida and Texas are among the states identified as virus hot spots after accounting for a full third of all new cases last week, Yahoo News reported.

Florida has broken a national record after it reported 21,000 new cases for one day. Zients said they knew that this virus was unpredictable from the onset of the pandemic.

The White House COVID response coordinator further noted that there had been a 70 percent increase in the average number of new people getting vaccinated daily over the past two weeks, NPR reported.

Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott had vigorously fought mask mandates in recent days, despite public health experts saying that masks could help reduce the increased transmissibility of the delta variant.

Last week, the Florida governor signed an order last week that made face masks optional in schools.

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: DeSantis Blasts Biden: "I Am Standing in Your Way" - From FOX 13 Tampa Bay